Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing new amidine compounds of the formula: ##EQU2## wherein R represents ##SPC3##
(R' being H or CH.sub.3) and acid addition salts thereof.
Compounds (I) prepared by the process of the present invention are new compounds which have never been disclosed in literatures. Those amidine compounds have a special broad antimicrobial spectrum. Surprisingly, they have only a low toxicity to fish and, therefore, the use of them for various purposes can be expected. The amidine compounds are also useful as intermediates in the preparation of many heterocyclic compounds. In addition, the nitriles of formula (II): EQU R -- CN (II)
wherein R represents ##SPC4##
(R' being H or CH.sub.3), used as starting compound can be obtained very easily from inexpensive cyclopentadiene, butadiene, isoprene, acrylonitrile, etc. by Diels-Alder reaction on a commercial scale. Thus, the amidine compounds (I) are very advantageous.
A process for synthesizing nitriles (II) has been disclosed in the specification of Japanese Pat. No. 49753/1973.